PASTORAL MINISTRY EDUCATION
(SEMINARIANS, DEACONS, AND LAY PASTORAL MINISTERS)

OVERVIEW

Education and ongoing formation of both ordained and lay pastoral ministers is vital to the health of our local church. We are blessed with a long tradition of educational excellence at our Athenaeum of Ohio, which is made possible by the talents and treasures of many people like you. Theology and ministry training at the Athenaeum provides for the spiritual needs of over 200 parishes in 19 counties. This ministry also includes our outreach efforts to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

BACKGROUND

The oldest division of The Athenaeum of Ohio, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West, prepares men for ordination as Roman Catholic priests. The seminary program has two primary components: spiritual formation and ministerial education. Since 1990 over 95% of our seminary graduates have remained in active priesthood serving in the Archdiocese, the Midwest, and throughout the world. The seminary has as its mission the preparation of candidates for ministry as ordained presbyters in the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, Catholic men who are sponsored by a Catholic diocese or a Catholic religious community as potential candidates for ordination to the presbyterate can be admitted to the seminary and its professional degree program.

Another division, the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program, prepares women and men to serve the Church and society as lay ministers. Since its beginning in 1975, over 550 graduates have gone on to contribute to the mission of the Church. The goal of the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program is to provide participants with the education and experiences they need: to become more effective ministers, to empower others to minister and to minister with creativity and adaptability to the evolving needs of a changing church and society.

The third division, the Special Studies Program, offers more specialized programs of study – three specialized Master of Arts degrees: in Biblical Studies, Pastoral Counseling, and Theology. These degree programs are open to all students who have completed a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 average and meet other entrance requirements of the program. Also included is the Deacon Formation Program as well as continuing education opportunities for those in ministry. The role of the deacon is to be a helper of the bishops and priests, to proclaim by his life the Church’s call to serve the needs of others, to proclaim the Gospel message, to live a life of fidelity to Christ and the Church and to lead the community in building a Kingdom of grace, faith, justice, and compassion.

For more information on all of these important pastoral education services, visit www.athenaeum.edu and www.cincinnativocations.org